


any odd way to get to you

by jolybird



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Shooting Stars, four leaf clovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-08 03:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20302081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolybird/pseuds/jolybird
Summary: Shooting stars and four leaf clovers turned Lavender's luck around but what if shooting stars and four leaf clovers were all she had?;;Written for HP Get Lucky 2018





	any odd way to get to you

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [HP Get Lucky 2018](https://hp-getlucky.livejournal.com/) and forgotten about until just now. I did edit it a bit because I forgot how much fun I had with this rare pair and couldn't resist playing around in this story a little more.

The soft click of the tiny pendulum swinging, keeping pace with the ever so slight movement of the skies overhead, and the scratching of Parvati’s quill on her parchment were the only sounds in the clearing. Even the stars seems to hang quiet in the sky tonight. 

A cool breeze rustled Parvati’s papers, causing her to mutter under her breath and stop writing so that she could protect her notes from flying away. The grass rolled across the field like waves in the moonlight and the top card of Lavender’s tarot deck flipped over.

Lavender glanced up from where she had been studying the pulled knit of her blanket and sighed when she saw what card the fates deemed appropriate for her tonight. 

Parvati didn’t even look in her direction, she remained perfectly still several feet away, adjusting her telescope. “Does it say stop moping?”

Lavender rolled onto her back to stare up at the stars, the grass tickled her bare feet and she was glad the moon was only in the first quarter. Full moons made her scars ache and left her anxious and antsy. “The Tower.”

Parvati laughed, “you’re headed for _ another _ breakdown?”

“Catastrophe.” Lavender sighed, once she put all her faith in the stars above her, but the world didn’t wait for schoolgirls to decipher pinpricks in the sky. She pushed her hair from her face and let her fingers trace the scar along her cheek. 

Parvati pulled her wand out and tapped her telescope. It hissed and steamed and when she leaned back to look into the lens, her friend gave a small, pleased noise. “I think it’s telling you it’s time you choose to make a change. Is Mrs. Willows looking for a new apprentice yet?”

Lavender chose to ignore her. The thing was, she _ had _ been trying, she had been putting herself out there and taking chances. But that only gave life an opportunity to backfire--she had been fired from _ both _ her jobs and the girl she _ thought _fancied her had just introduced her to her new girlfriend. She had gone to Mrs. Willows and was told, albeit very gently, that she didn't have time for a new apprentice. Rolling onto her side at the very edge of the blanket, she could just make out that she had put their blanket in a field of clover. There was a thought--some good luck could change everything. She pushed herself up and started combing through the clovers. 

If she had had a four leaf clover with her on Tuesday, she wouldn’t have been fired, went to her second job and then repeated the whole modifying ordeal. The worst part was that she didn’t even bugger anything up. There wasn’t enough money to go around and she was the newest and therefore the first to get trimmed off. Sure, she hadn’t particularly liked either of the positions but now that they were taken from her, she missed them. 

“Lav, you know I love you, but what in the name of all things magical are you doing crawling around in the grass?”

Lavender ignored her best friend. Three leaf, three leaf, three leaf--_ four _\--no, three. Parvati whispered under her breath and the telescope squeaked. There! Lavender put her fingers on the delicate stem and counted the leafs again--all four were present and accounted for. Merlin’s beard, she wished she had some good luck for a change--

“Oh. A shooting star!” Parvati gasped, elated even though she saw hundreds of them with her eyes always locked on the night sky. 

Lavender looked up as she plucked the four-leaf clover from the earth. The star shot across the sky and burnt out.

“Did you really find one?” Lavender held it up so Parvati could squint at it in the darkness. “Are you going to turn it into a necklace like we did at Hogwarts?”

“Of course.” She smiled, already feeling lighter.

“A four leaf clover is really going to brighten your day?”

“Oh, it’s well past midnight but, yes, it is.”

“Well if you’ve chosen to be cheerful again, make yourself useful and come over here, I think I’ve somehow lost Venus.”

Lavender tucked the clover away into her jacket pocket and pushed herself to her feet to help her astronomer best friend track stars. 

* * *

Sometimes, when her scars ached and she got aggravated over every little thing in the world, Lavender did what every other werewolf (or, in her case, part werewolf) did and took to the woods. It was just a way for her to clear her head and, if the need arose that she needed to kick the shit out of a tree, no one would witness it. Lavender pulled herself up a hill with the help of a branch and realized quite suddenly she could hear someone cursing. She was in the middle of nowhere, deep in the woods, so another person was the last thing on her mind. In fact, that was the entire reason she was out here: she didn’t put her people face on this morning (literally, she was out here sans makeup and she hated people seeing her without it—their eyes went right to the scars and she didn’t need their pity. She had only lost a few inches of skin and the ability to sleep through the night of full moons, that’s _it_. Whatever pity they had to share was best given to someone who had lost much more than she had. 

“Are you alright?” she called out to the woods even as she brushed some of her hair out of her bun to try to cover her scars. 

“Actually--I could use a little bit of help if you decide to materialize near me.” The voice called back, accompanied by some splashing. The voice was familiar which could either be good or bad. She knew some of the best people in the wizarding world which, regrettably, also meant she knew some of the worst. 

Lavender took out her wand and headed in the direction of the voice. She didn’t know if she should be surprised or not when she rounded a bend to see George Weasley arse down in the stream fighting to pry some sort of giant slug off his arm. While wholly unexpected, it _ was _the sort of situation one would expect to find a Weasley twin. 

“I’m not going to ask, I’m just going to help,” she said and he laughed. He was pale and she made quick work of sending the slug flying. “Are you alright?”

He picked himself up with a bit of effort and went to fetch his wand from where it had floated downstream. “I’m just lucky someone was out here to pull it off.” His voice was a little shaky and she didn’t want to think of what would have happened if she hadn’t found him. Probably nothing, he always seemed so unbeatable, but then again, a lot of seemingly unbeatable people had been broken on the ground during the battle of Hogwarts. She knew Harry was fine but the sight of him limp in Hagrid’s arms haunted her. Not to mention tiny Coin Creevy and— She brushed her hair away from her face, George never tried to hide the scars on the left side of his face and that always gave her the courage to not care about her own. 

“What _ are _you doing out here?”

“Classified Weasley business.” George shot her a lopsided grin as he plucked his wand free from the clump of branches it had floated into. 

Lavender started wading towards the shore, if there was one slug hiding in here, there was bound to be more. “For the shop or your family?”

“Shop today.” George caught her arm as she slipped and kept her on her feet. “What brings you out to the middle of nowhere?”

Lavender thought about coming up with a silly white lie but then just opted for the truth. “Needed to clear my head.”

She sort of expected sympathy but instead George cocked an eyebrow and shrugged flippantly, “Well I expect I won’t be seeing you around for a while then.”

Lavender blinked as she took in his words and then shoved him with a laugh, “you’re an arse, did you know that?”

He blinked owlishly back at her, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She shook her head and laughed, “Well, come on, let me help and then you can get home. I’ve never met your mother but I know enough about her that she’ll have my head if I leave you out here now."

George looked at her evenly and then proceeded to explain just why he was out here digging through the muck trying to get eaten by giant slugs. Lavender was going to take a very long, hot shower to get the dirt off her but George made her laugh and so she stayed. 

Later on, when she had a chance to think things over without the looming threat of being knocked over by the current hanging above her head, Lavender would swear bumping into George in the middle of nowhere was the first bit of good luck she had had in a long while.

* * *

Lavender finished her drink and put the glass down with a thud, “Have you seen Chiara?” She had to raise her voice because for some reason everyone and their mother had the same idea to get after work drinks at the Ghost Dog’s Tavern tonight. Usually on Wednesday it was quiet and they could talk but, Merlin’s tit, tonight it was hard enough for them to find a booth. 

“Not recently, why?” Parvati shouted over her cheese fries. If it were any other of their friends who had wandered off, she wouldn’t be worried. But this was Chiara and she once got into a fist fight with a vampire. Every friend group had room for exactly one person who was bitten by a nasty and Lavender already claimed that spot, thank you very much. She hadn’t almost bled to death in the Charms corridor for Chiara to swoop in years later and upstage her with a vampire bite. 

“I haven’t seen her in ages. I’m going to get another drink and look for her at the bar.”

Parvati glanced around at the crowded tavern and then picked up another cheese fry, “I’ll be here.” Lavender personally thought Parvati was already on her way to hungover but as long as she was alternating her grains and starches, she’d survive. 

Lavender pushed her way through the crowded pub and squeezed into an empty seat at the bar. She bumped into the man sitting next to her and apologized over the band. She was pretty sure she knew them from somewhere and that’s why they were here tonight.She might have even told them Wednesdays were a good night to prove what sort of crowds they could bring. Maybe she shouldn’t get another drink just yet. 

“Lavender. We keep running into each other.” She startled as she realized George Weasley was next to her. Scratch that thought--she needed another drink immediately. 

“Must just be good luck.” She smiled, he echoed it and then something caught his attention behind her. 

“Oi, George--” someone called across the bar and he made a show of rolling his eyes as he picked up his drinks and vanished into the crowd.

“Was that a Weasley?” Chiara asked, appearing quite suddenly behind her.

“George.” Lavender’s voice meant to come out cool and even but the signals got crossed somewhere between her brain and lips and so his name ended up coming out decidedly _ not _. 

“He’s fit, isn’t he?” Chiara innocently took a sip of her drink and waved down the bartender and got Lavender another pint. Christ, she loved her friends. 

“Not you too.” She groaned, digging into her purse and handing the bartender a couple coins. 

“Not me too, what does that mean? Not me too?” Chiara put the drink in her hand and then guided her back to their table. “Parvati, what does Lav mean by _not me too_ in regards to me saying George Weasley is quite fit?”

“I don’t know why I still go out with the pair of you.” She told them dryly over her fries. She watched the band and Lavender sank down onto the seat with a sigh. 

Chiara sat down across from her and then her eyes widened and she waved her hand to shut them both up, “Oh hush--here comes the Weasley and friends.”

“_Oh_.” Parvati sat up, suddenly interested.

Lavender rolled her eyes and then shut them, not even opening them when George elbowed her over to squeeze in next to her. “Mine if we join you?”

“I don’t think we could stop you.”

“Of course you could. Did you know, Lavender saved my life the other day.”

“What happened now?” Chiara leaned forward and Lavender took a sip of her drink to drown out her and Parvati’s interested glances.She knew some of his friends and she waved to Lee Jordan who had been the one to roll his eyes and demand the bed next to the maybe-werewolf in St Mungos, a brave act for someone who couldn’t use the left side of their body because of a wonky hex. Lee fist bumped her and George smiled at her as he dramatized their previous meeting. 

* * *

“Lav, you’re in luck they have your favorite today.” Padma smiled as the two little ones raced around them in anticipation of a sugar rush. No matter the temperature outside, it was always slightly warm with a cold tinge in the air inside Fortescue's. 

Lavender didn’t even bother looking at the menu, she frequented the shop so often in the years after the war that she was completely confident that she could walk up to the counter and ask for them to surprise her and she’d be delighted. “Well I’m getting a double scoop then.”

Her friend laughed and they joined the queue.

Pari, Padma’s youngest, grabbed her hand and tugged on it, “Aunt Lavender, can I have one little bite of your hibiscus so I know if that’s what I want.”

She knew perfectly well she’d have_ one little bite _ from every scoop in the store if she had her way in a bid to have more ice cream, but when could she ever said no to her goddaughter?

“Of course. Prisha, will you want a bite as well?”

“No I’m getting pumpkin.” The older girl didn’t take her eyes off the display case, just in case it grew legs and decided to walk off.

“Ooo! Can I have a little bite!” Pari jumped up and down, still clutching Lavender’s hand. 

Her sister didn’t speak or blink, just nodded.

Lavender glanced to Padma and the two laughed as they ordered and then took their ice cream to eat outside. It seemed a pity to leave Padma locked up in Gringotts all day so, since she was babysitting her two daughters, Lavender had packed them up and went to crash her lunch hour. It wouldn’t be the first time the two had ice cream for lunch and with two little girls, it wouldn’t be the last. 

Scooping Pari up onto her lap, Lavender sat down under the awnings and took a bite of her ice cream.

Padma smiled at the two of them. In the beginning, it had felt like an enormous thing, holding her friend’s kids with the scars on her face. Padma had been nothing but resolute that those thoughts were complete rubbish from the very beginning. “This was a nice surprise.”

“Aunt Lavender said you would be very upset to miss the sunshine.” Prisha said only after she demolished half her ice cream cone. 

“Aunt Lavender is very smart.”

“And she needed a break looking through the daily prophet for jobs!”

Padma frowned sympathetically and turned to her best friend, “Maybe you should ask Deborah if there’s an opening here.”

“Free ice cream!” Pari cheered. Lavender smiled and wiped the ice cream off her nose.

“Oh--look out.” Padma called and some ungainly creature came spiraling towards them from the sky. Lavender hopped up, put Pari next to her sister, handed Padma her ice cream and cast _ engorgio _on an umbrella across the way. The mess of feathers hit the umbrella and Lavender ran to catch it.

Pari and Prisha cheered as she tried not to scream at the creature now in her arms. It was a bird, probably, _maybe_ an owl. It moved in her arms--definitely an owl. She carried it to the table and Prisha ran inside to get some water for the poor thing.

“Nice catch.” Padma said, half a laugh, half pure disbelief that she actually made the catch. 

“Where did it come from?” Lavender asked, depositing it on the table away from the other two.

“The sky.” Pari took a bite of her cone and looked up at the sky like she expected it to start raining owls at any moment. Hopefully, it wouldn’t.

Padma handed her the rest of her cone and she picked at it as Prisha returned with some water and they watched as the thing slowly transformed from a ruffled pile of feathers into an owl. Lavender squinted at it. It looked a little familiar but...it couldn’t be.

“Errol!” A voice shouted over the din of the street.

“This can’t be that old owl.” Padma laughed at once, covering her mouth with her hand.

Lavender brushed Prisha’s hand away as she went to pet it, something this old had to be unsafe for toddlers. “It’s got to be ancient. Here--I’ll give it a piece of my cone.”

“I should have known I’d find him here.” George said, emerging from the crowd behind them.

“Why is it that there are hundreds of Weasley's and yet I only seem to ever run into you.” Lavender said at once to hide the fact she was feeding it her cone. A creature this old deserved to have all the treats in the world. 

“Good luck I guess.” George shrugged, with a crooked grin on his face that made Prisha giggle. 

“This isn’t the same owl from school?” Padma interrupted with a small smile Lavender instantly didn’t like.

“The very same.” He plucked him from the table and the two girls made loud, unhappy noises. “Sorry to take your entertainment away but the two of us are on a very important mission. If you come by the shop later I’ll let you pick whatever you like to make up for it.”

“George owns Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.” Lavender told the girls even though it looked like Padma rather they tell them he owned the use bookshop next door. 

Prisha nearly knocked herself right off the bench in her excitement, “Oh my gosh, really?”

“Busy day?” Lavender asked, brushing a strand of hair out of Prisha's face. 

George shrugged like he and his ancient family owl ran around Diagon Alley every day, “Lost Percy and Verity for a bit--it’s just me and the pygmy puffs right now.”

“What’s a pygmy puff?” Pari asked.

“Oh you’ll see in a bit.” Lavender promised her.

“Lavender.” Padma frowned then turned back to George, “are you looking for help? Lavender’s recently become available.”

He raised his eyes suggestively for a moment over _ available _and then turned serious, “Honestly? Yes. We’ll talk later.”

“Candy!” Pari cheered as he retreated with the ancient owl back into the throng of shoppers. Lavender couldn’t be certain but she thought he was speaking to the owl as he went. 

“Not if you’re staying with me this afternoon you’re not.” Lavender told the child quite seriously as she finished her ice cream and reached for her wand to clean everyone’s sticky fingers. 

Pari frowned in a way that say she knew she was getting at least two handfuls of candy later. Honestly, she probably wasn’t wrong. Lavender had a weakness for her friend’s kids and they knew it.

“I’m not working for my ex-boyfriend’s brother.” Lavender told Padma matter-of-factly. Sure, she and Ron were friends and she went out for drinks with Hermione sometimes but still, working for her ex’s brother was some sort of weird she didn’t want in her life right now. 

Padma didn’t reply and Lavender felt her heart sink. She thought she had kept it a secret seeing as it was so unfortunate (her ex’s brother, really?) but it seemed like Padma knew she had a weakness for a certain Weasley too.

* * *

What she did when they reached Weasley's Wizard Wheezes couldn’t really be classified as putting up a fight. Rent was due in a couple weeks and she was getting dangerously close to having to give up her creature comforts to afford it.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” George asked, ignoring Pari as she sat on the counter, kicking her feet as she babbled to a mauve pygmy puff. Her mother was going to kill her for buying her a pet but George had said they were low maintenance. Pari was in love with the little thing and she already told it all about her family and what to expect when they got home. 

“Thank you so much for the--for the freaking job.” Lavender gestured sort of wildly. She still wanted to say no but--the money--the rent--her face masks. 

“No, thank _you_. You being there to each Errol was such good luck. Can you believe if he finally did himself in on my watch? I'd never hear the end of it.”

Good luck. Huh. She touched her necklace in thought as she shepherded the two girls out to wreak sugar-induced havoc on the streets.

* * *

Lavender laughed, her sides ached and there were tears in her eyes. She had the new Wonder Witch Celestial Hair Potion on and her curls were shimmering. It had taken a couple weeks but George had finally convinced her to try it. She liked the way the kids laughed when a shooting star ran up a strand and the way she sometimes caught George staring.

“Did you let her return it?” Every one of George’s stories were more unbelievable than the last and it made the time working at the shop fly by. Some of her favorite moments were when the shop was empty and they had nothing to do but talk. 

“Fred did. For store credit.” George held a box of Screaming Yo-Yos in his hands as he tried to suppress his grin. It took a while to notice, but if you were paying attention, George had a habit of slightly favoring doing things the non-magical way. Lavender had the same habit, it might be the result of their near-death experiences via werewolves and potions professors, or it could just be a subconscious need to physically move. The war had left the pair of them scarred in more ways than one. 

Lavender bit her lip to stop her laughter, “did she then turn around and buy more?”

“She bought more.” he responded solemnly.

Lavender finished putting the yo-yos on the shelf and leaned against it so she could turn and look at him, “did she return it again?”

“Not yet but the full moon is soon.”

She wasn’t going to question what the full moon had to do with Fainting Fancies but if this mad woman was going to make an appearance, she was going to make it very soon, “three days.”

“Bill gets anxious around the full moon too.” George frowned and the sight of it on his face made Lavender uncomfortable. 

“I’m glad I’m not the only quasi-almost werewolf in England.” She joked and ran a hand through her glittering hair. From the corner of her eye she could see a shooting star streak across her fingers. 

He smiled, a little haunted, and then shook himself out of it, “do you want to go for drinks?”

Lavender pushed herself off the wall, that was the best idea either of them had all day, “Of course. Let me floo Parvati through. She’s been trying to convince me to go out for days.”

“Leaky Cauldron?” George asked from behind her, his voice had an amused tint and everything felt right in the world again. 

“Grab our coats.” Lavender called over her shoulder as she ran in back to floo her best friend. 

* * *

“This was such a great surprise.” Parvati laughed, hugging her as she came to stand next to Lavender, and then someone caught her eye from across the bar, “is that Lee Jordan?”

“Yeah--he’s gone for drinks. George is around here somewhere too.”

Parvati’s laughter dried up, “how good is your luck?”

“What?” Lavender wrinkled her nose and paused as she led her friend over to the others.

“I heard your voice just now. Remember when you told me you were randomly into someone?” 

Lavender’s stomach dropped, there was a delicate peace going on here and she didn’t need her friends' well-intentions knocking it off balance, “That was--”

“It was before Vanessa and you and I both know it.” Parvati whispered over the music, some band was playing and her friend's grip on her wrist was tight. Lavender frowned and then Parvati laughed, “Merlin’s beard, Lav! Can I borrow that necklace?”

“Be serious.”

“Haven’t we rid you of that already?” George asked and Parvati held out her hand to shake.

“Thanks for getting Lavender off my couch.” She said because of course her absolutely darling best friend _ would _. 

“It’s my couch.” she protested through gritted teeth.

George just laughed, “stop gossiping over here and come dance.”

“Dance?” Parvati laughed and Lavender dragged George off just so she didn’t have to listen to her.

One dance led to two which led to three which led to drinks and shots and Parvati doing karaoke with Oliver Wood of all bloody people. It was a rush of laughter that Lavender hadn’t felt in so long that she didn’t come back to herself until her and George were outside sharing a cigarette.

One minute they were talking about one of Oliver’s particularly sharp notes and the resulting booing from the rest of the Puddlemere Quidditch team and the next she was kissing him and she didn’t want to stop.

His hands went to her waist, fingertips digging into her skin. She had wanted to do this for so fucking long and now--

Lavender pulled away, terrified, “I’m so sorry. That was extremely unprofessional. I should get a glass of water and go home. I’ll see you at work in the morning.” She didn’t give him a chance to speak, she raced back into the building, downed a glass of water in one go and dragged Parvati out the front door.

“What on earth happened?” Her friend’s grip on her arm was tight and her wand was clenched in her other hand, ready for anything. 

“A mistake.” Lavender whispered, she had made out with her _ boss. _ He was no longer just a crush, he was now her boss which booted any and all feelings to a little chest in the corner of her brain that was never to be opened under any circumstances ever again. 

“Oh Merlin’s beard,” Parvati whispered, “you’re a mess.”

“Please let’s not talk about this.” Lavender tried to keep her voice level but it cracked in a way that said she was going to start freaking out if she didn’t get a grip on herself soon. 

Parvati’s tiny laugh made her stomach drop but instead of teasing she only said, “of course, honey, let’s get home and I’ll make us hot cocoa.” 

* * *

They didn’t talk about it (_they _ being George and Lavender. Parvati and Padma and Chiara talked about it constantly, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do).

A new shipment of Wonder Witch Products came in and they didn’t talk about it.

(Padma asked if maybe she was over thinking things.)

The shop was empty for an entire afternoon and they didn’t talk about it.

(Chiara told her she should just push him onto the counter and climb on top of him.)

Sunday came, Monday came, Tuesday it rained the entire day and flooded the front corner of the shop and George brushed against something that turned his hair bright pink and his eyes a piercing lilac for the next two day and they didn’t talk about it.

(If she only just opened her mouth and said _ something _she’d feel better.)

They didn’t talk about it.

(“Just bring some firewhisky in and do shots after you close up, Lavender.”)

George had probably completely forgotten about it by this point. 

(“Were you a Gryffindor in school or not?”)

Good.

(Lavender was getting good at dodging her friend’s concerned looks). 

* * *

“Lavender, dear. I was just going to owl you.” Mrs. Willows called from the front step of her jewelry boutique. She specialized in antiques, the more cursed or spelled the better. Brisingamen was the place to go if you had jewelry your ex hexed or when you found a box of your particularly petty grandmother’s jewels. Lavender sometimes just wandered around the shop when she was on break. 

“What can I do to help?” Lavender asked, pulling her hair down out of a ponytail. She was just finishing up for the day and was looking forward to a bubble bath when she got back to her flat. 

“Daphne's moving to the Netherlands and I find myself down an assistant.”

Lavender froze and she didn’t even dare breathe--working for Mrs. Willows was a dream she had been keeping for so long it seemed impossible. She traveled the world working with the most exclusive clientele on the most dangerously beautiful jewelry imaginable. Lavender tried not to let the excitement show but Mrs. Willows chuckled and held the door open, “Do you have a moment to chat over tea?”

“Of course.” Lavender breathed and all but ran into the shop.

* * *

She was in a daze for the next couple of days as she worked at Weasleys' and continued to not speak to George about anything important. Her head was in the clouds as she chased her friend’s children through the streets of London, trying to keep them occupied while their parents were at work. She was forced to dodge Parvati’s knowing looks and pretended she wasn’t distracted. Mrs. Willows had concluded their afternoon tea with the promise that she'd write to her soon about whether or not she was able to formally offer her a position at the shop. 

Her whole life could change _again_, and it was dizzying.

She was sitting on her balcony in muggle London with Parvati when a tiny little owl flew over and landed on the rail. It held out it’s leg and she untied the paper. The owl stayed only long enough for her to give it a bite of the crust of her sandwich with shaking fingers.

Even Mrs. Willows owls wore little jewels to make the jet streams blow favorably for them. 

Parvati leaned forward in her seat, “well--open it--you got the apprenticeship, haven’t you?”

“Don’t jinx it!” she hissed and then opened the parchment. She skimmed the paragraphs and then screamed, “I got the position!”

Jumping to her feet, she laughed and jumped around for a couple of seconds and then sat back down with a long sigh, “this is all thanks to the clover.”

Parvati frowned, “I don’t think--”

But Lavender had put a hand to the base of her neck and--the necklace was gone. She had been wearing it just--she had just--the air grew cold around her. 

She didn’t remember the last time she had seen the necklace. 

“Oh my god, I’ve lost it.”

Tearing into the house, she didn’t realize Parvati was helping her look until she bumped into her searching under the couch.

“I’m sure it’ll turn up somewhere.”

“It’s gone.” She sighed, horrified.

“Lavender.”

“I lost my necklace--the four leaf clover--I have to tell George I quit but--without the necklace--”

Parvati smiled softly and tilted her head, “You’ll be fine, I promise.”

“But--what if he’s--” Lavender didn’t know what was worse: annoyed or disappointed or indifferent.

“We’re not schoolgirls, I know you don’t actually believe this.”

Lavender pouted in a way that was very reminiscent of Hogwarts. She went to speak, stopped herself and huffed, “Alright fine. I’m going now.”

Her ever so darling best friend laughed at her retreat. “You can wait until tomorrow, you know.”

“He’s still at the shop tonight. I’ll tell him now!”

* * *

Lavender walked down the cobblestones with her arms wrapped around her. Diagon Alley was both exactly and nothing like she remembered. Nearly all the store fronts were remodeled, either because of time or the war, and the shops that were gone were replaced by ones that were already familiar. 

There was a light on in the backroom of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and Lavender realized how strange it was to push open the front door of the shop without even hesitating as she did so. A few years ago, she wouldn’t have dreamed of wandering in here after hours. 

“George?” she called and there was a shuffling sound in back before he appeared in the doorway. He waved his want to turn the light over the register on. 

“What is it? Is everything okay?” Despite his words, he looked happy to see her and that made a smile break out across her face. 

“I got an apprenticeship.”

“At Brísingamen?” George asked and, _okay_, she did talk about the shop frequently and they had even wandered the shop together once or twice but still, he shouldn’t be able to read her like this. They met in front of the register and and Lavender laughed. 

“Yes.” she said hardly able to contain herself.

He laughed and hugged her tightly, “Congratulations. I knew it was only a matter of time. Willa has been glaring at me ever since I first hired you.”

“Really?” Lavender asked, half thrown by the hug, half by the fact this apparently had been a transparent secret. 

“Really. And what luck, you can see it right from the front steps.” George glanced to the front door and then back to her. 

At the mention of luck, Lavender frowned and took a step back from him, “Oh luck doesn’t have much to do with anything anymore. I’ve lost my necklace.”

“The ugly clover thing?”

“It wasn’t ugly.”

“It was hideous.” He frowned down at her, “was it your good luck charm?”

“Ever since I first bumped into you--it’s all been luck--all of it--and now I don’t know what will happen without it.”

“That wasn’t luck.” George said, eyebrow cocked and frowning, “all of that wasn’t luck. The past couple of weeks--months actually--aren’t the result of a four leaf clover or shooting star or--”

“It was both actually.”

“Well, they weren’t the cause of it and this isn’t going to stop just because you lost a necklace.” George was on the verge of laughter but the incredulous cock of his eyebrow prevented her from feeling silly. 

“This?”

He looked like he was going to hesitate for a heartbeat and then he got his confidence back, “So, since I’m not your boss anymore and we don’t have to worry about _ professionalism_...do you want to go for drinks after I close up?”

Lavender thought it over for about half a second and then she stood on her toes and kissed him right there.

And if they didn’t quite make it for drinks that night, well, there was always tomorrow.


End file.
